Walk, talk and be the brand. You are the brand. You are the walking, talking and silent salesperson. Whether you acknowledge it or not. What you say, how you carry yourself and how you dress does matter. Yes, even in 2016. Personal branding is your only unique ticket to being heard and seen. You can thank or curse social media for that. It does not matter if you are a stylist, a techie or the video editor, if you want people to take notice on how amazing you are, then that same attitude has to match outside.

People judge you. Yes its true, but you can change the perspective based on what you choose to wear and how you present yourself. Incorporating your personal brand into your style., may not be an easy task but a feasible execution with guidance and coaching from a personal stylist or brand coach.

Think of Yourself as a Brand

You are not Coca-cola and you are not Oprah. You can only be you. You really need to reach deep to really defy how you want to represent yourself to the world. It is never a permanent thing, so don't be scared to try something new and experiment. No one is asking you to be like anybody else.

What You Brand Says

It's best to take the time to sit down and think about the words that best describe your brand. Sexy, serious, eclectic, strong, smart? To best cut out what you think of yourself or what you want to hear yourself say. It is best to ask your closest friends and family what 3 words best describes you. This reality check can help you define your true self and making it work for you.

Be Your Best Self

Even the word unique seems overplayed. No one can even defy what unique really means, but you sure can be  yourself. Use your unique physical feature, skills and personality to your advantage. No one likes copy cats. Know your strengths and weaknesses, so you don't get yourself into sticky situations like a terrible romantic comedy film.

Have Fun, Be Confident

Incorporate what you love and have fun with it. Soon you will have a signature style that everyone will identify with you. A strong lip, colored rim glasses or a hat can make your personal brand a little more eccentric.  Make sure it appropriate to your complete brand. You may like Saturday night wrestling but don't wear a sweatband to work. Put your brand out there with confidence with open criticism and open to people who adore you. You can not please everyone and your aim is not to. Please yourself and attract the people you do want to work with. Your personal style should always be fun.




Model: Tami Williams
Elle France March 2016

Photographer: David Bellemere 

I could easily write a post about what you can and not do when wanting to brand yourself online. How to maximize your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and generating leads, check out here and here.  You have read the content and adding another to do list in your life, that you will never get to do... is demotivating and just plain tiring.

So Let's get to the crust of things. You need time and money to let people know who you are. You need even more time to make people care and then you need patience to look after the people who care. They are the people that help you grow your business. Let's not forget that.

What do I need?

Where are they?

Why?

"There is no such thing as a free lunch." - Milton Friedman

The Sublimer is a digital Magazine that tells the visual stories and conversations of the fashion influencer in design, lifestyle, film and culture. Telling the stories of the people who make, create and shape what we think is fashion. 

stylist: jacob k 

hair: marc lopez

make-up: petros petrohilos

manicure: brenda abrial 

In the couple of weeks I have been doing more, business brand consulting than photographing my boutique clients. As there is fundamental issue that  arises when it is time to talk about how they want to market themselves. They feel unsure of what, and how to describe what they want.

Passion and hard work is only the beginning of constructing the steps to to your success.  Whether we like it or not. Selling yourself is part of the game.  This is not a hard sell and shouting on the top of your lungs that you are the best. It a communication the way you dress, the way you talk and the manner that you run your business. The thought that  you can only be respected in a suit and tie, is a foolish game for old people stuck in 1974. The artists and entrepreneurs who want to sell their work forget that they are also a brand and they have to sell themselves. The thought of selling yourself, may seem egotistical and rather arrogant, but there is a reason why your friend, got the offer and you didn't.

You didn't say what you wanted.  It really is that simple. You don't ask. You don't get. It applies in business and applies to your personal life. You will always see success move over to the next person if you don't speak up. Crying about after won't get you there. Learn to articulate your needs, your vision, with direct motives and plan and give yourself the chance to try.

You didn't try. Well then. Nobody cared. Moving on.

You didn't know what you wanted. This can be a critical moment for you to find out what exactly you want. There are many other opportunities and minutes in the hour for you to figure out your needs and take action and take what you want even if you are scared.

You let fear break you. When you should allow it to bend you and mold you to so much more stronger and braver. "Damn you fear, but we have other things to do with our life." Focusing on what is more important to you can be your save you a thousand times.

Now let's get to the crust of things. We are human and we will always be creatures of nature. Its the survival of the fitnes. Do or die If you have no desire to hustle and be a ninja.  Do something else. Be employed, because the water is cold and murky out there, nobody is holding your hand but everyone want to bite your arm.

Good Read: How To Sell Yourself 

Like +Susannah Breslin says:  I’m a natural born hustler. Because I’ve spent a fair amount of my career hanging around pimps, prostitutes, and porn stars, and, boy, do they know how to sell themselves.

You know why you didn't get what you wanted. Its time to own your dreams and not let others run all over pooping on them.

The Sublimer is accepting exclusive submissions from established and emerging entrepreneurs that suit our style and quality in fashion brand/designers, accessories, photographers, creative teams, artists, bloggers/creative writers, stylists, make up artists, models and business coaches. We want to read and view images that make you Extravagant and Divine. 

• Fashion Business in's and out
• Fashion business strategies
• Marketing tactics
• About you - your business and what make you a unique brand
• Your atelier/ photoshoot- your process, your ideas, your thoughts
• Behind the scene
• interesting Q & A
• Tutorials - latest trends, techniques

We all make New Year Resolutions. Whether we write them down, actively take part in creating them or subconsciously start the year in a positive note. The New Year brings new vision, new ambitions and a new sense of purpose to make this year even better than the last.

But how long do they last? I have seen many new diet plans come and go as fast a week. Promises of no alcohol drinking disappearing at the cheers of a glass of Bordeaux at a social event. Financial projections that vanish at the sight of tax deductions. How is anyone supposed to stay motivated and true to their resolutions with all of life's non-supportive distractions?

Big Over The Top Goal

Since goals live and pass by like the latest hit radio song. I have recently found it self reliant to have small goal to ultimately reach my Big Over The Top Goal in life. Its the beginning of the year, so its the best time to monitor my steps towards my big goal. I only have so many days and even less hours in the day to achieve them. The pressure is on and the need to pursuit is high. Best engage before you have a burn out. Fighting out those days of doubt or despair is keeping in touch of your Big Over The Top Goal in life.

The more out of reach, the more elaborate and the more detailed you have imaged this goal.  It should sustain you for five or ten years in your life. Hopefully. The Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) written in a book by James Collins and Jerry Porras best demonstrates how it can work in companies but it can surly reflect the major results to a person's personal life goals.

How to find your BAHAG read here

In attaining these BIG goals, it is always best to approach them in a reasonable, measurable and timely manner. The pure pressure of attaining these goals and not attaining them in the time frame you want, can leave you feeling hopeless, regretful and discouraged. The point of goals is not to make you feel like a fool but to give you the necessary energy and motivation to keep moving forward. Even if moving forward feels like 10 000 tons of dog doo doo strapped on your feet with the anchor chains of the sinking Titanic. Cause you will feel like that some days, and other days you feel like a true champion of winners. So make sure you are super productive on positive days cause there is always doo doo on the way.

Try being S.M.A.R.T about it read here

Conclusion

Your own intelligence and endurance will get you there. As the cliche goes: "Rome was not built in a day"  Stop, look, listen and walk. Stop to take the time to really discover what you want in your whole entire life. Everything matters in your life. It's your life after all. Look for the right information to make your decision making easier. Listen to good and bad advice. You have to learn either way what is good and what is bad for you. And it will all depend if you Stopped and Looked in the right place. Then walk in the path towards your Big Over The Top Goal.

Silence can be your best strategy as a way to achieve your goals read here

When I am feeling frustrated and stuck, it is a big sign that I am losing faith in what I am doing. If I don't trust myself in what I am doing. I lose motivation, and that is the worst feeling. That's the worst feeling for anyone.

Working in a creative environment, you are always expected to deliver spectacle and sparkle, even though you feel like a rock. Creativity does not fall from the sky, you can work on it and find mechanism that jog your mind to put different concepts together to make things interesting. This is all nothing and not worthwhile if you have lost your motivation. In achieving your goals in your life, you need to have discipline, strong will and grit.

Here are some 10 Great Advice to Keep You Motivated.

1. Write down your goals. When you are not performing at your best. Your mind goes into self sabotage. It will fill you with fear and amnesia. You won't remember why and how you git yourself in the particular incident and anger will cloud your judgement. Writing down you goals reminds you why you are making your sacrifices and where the hell you are going. This prevent distractions putting the breaks on your life goals

2. Evernote your ideas. Think your ideas, write them down then save them. I spent years writing my goals, ideas, concepts, people I have met eat on note pads, books, my phone and then not having them all together in one place so I could reassure myself and actually use them. Thank you technology. Evernote has your back from web page links, pictures, snap shots and sharing you can have your note on demand in all your devices, where ever and when ever you want.

3. Meet up with like minded people. These are the positive people you have in your life that you always feel amazing after seeing them and feel recharged to take on your next assignment. I call them the health friends. The ones that don't suck out the life force out of you with their dark and limited outlook on life. They will suck you in deeper in your dark pit. Like minded people help you learn something new about what you do or love and share your interests and are happy for your dreams and success. Meet with them as often as you can. Its good that you don't feel crazy and alone.

4. Workout. If you are working for yourself or trying to build something with a team. Your mind is working over time, all the time, non stop. This mental exhaustion can leave you burnt out and ready to quit. Take the time to work on your body giving your mind a deserved release of mental stress.

5. Visual board of your goal. Visual boards are not only for preparing for photoshoot and getting everyone on the same vision and aesthetic. It can be a very beneficial map to getting what you want. there is a great quote to this.

"If you don’t know exactly where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?” – Steve Maraboli

6. Find inspiration on a daily basis. Inspirational thoughts give you a boost of adrenaline and that wonderful feel good hormone called; endorphins. Pinterest, books, music or your visual board can keep you motivated all day. Start the day positive, it gets your mind focus on what is important.

7. Be aware of your urges to quite and your plan to stop it. Hold the breaks. What did you just say to yourself? Beware, you are your own worst enemy. The insane scared and crazy part of your brain is out to get you. Take a moment to hear out your negative voice, then say the positive version out loud. Cause now you have made the positive true, though the existence of words. The same will work if someone speaks badly of you. Conflict is not needed, you have better things to do with your time.

8. Just do it Now. What more can I say.

“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” – George Patton

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

“The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.” – Thomas Sowell

“You can have it all. Just not all at once.” – Oprah Winfrey